Manually controlled photographic exposing, developing, and fixing device



T. R. LAING MANUALLY CONTROLLED PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPOSING, DEVELOPING, AND FIXING DEVICE Feb. 19, 1952 Filed Nov. 7, 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Feb. 19, 1952 T. R. LAlNG 2 585345 MANUALLY CONTROLLED PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPOSING, DEVELOPING, AND FIXING DEVICE Filed Nov. 7. 1947 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. haw/ax K 4/A 6 Feb. 19, 1952 LAING 2,585,945

MANUALLY CONTROLLED PHOTOGRAFHIC EXPOSING, DEVELOPING, AND FIXING DEVICE Filed Nov. 7, 1947 5,Sheets-Sheer. 5

INVENTOR. lazy/'56 1?. L417; BY

Feb, 19, 1952 I Filed Nov. 7. 1947 T. R. LAING I 2,585,945 MANUALLY CONTROLLED PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPOSING, DEVELOPING, AND FIXING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Feb. 19, 1952 2,585,945 MANUALLY CONTROLLED PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPOSING, DEVICE DEVELOPING,

AND FIXING Torrance R. Laing, New York, N. Y.; Matilde E. Krause executrix of said Torrance It. Laing,

deceased Application November 7, 1947, Serial No. 784,657

7 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a photographic device and it particularly relates to a photograph taking and dispensing device.

t is among the objects of the present invention to provide a compact simplified durable readily operated photographic device which by simple manipulations of levers and knobs will successively feed a continuous strip of photographic paper from a supply reel, expose the same in frames to take a picture, cut off the frames, carry the frames into a developing and fixing solution and then permit removal of the developed and fixed pictures, all without opening of the camera box and while maintaining the light tightness of the camera box.

Still further objects and advantages will appear in the more detailed description set forth below. it being understood, however, that this more detailed description is given by way of illustration and explanation only and not by Way of limitation, since various changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

In accomplishing the above objects it has been found most satisfactory to provide a light-tight camera box or enclosure with a readily removable and refillable container carrying a supply of or continuous roll of positive photographic paper. By operating rollers from the exterior of the box or enclosure the positive paper may be fed through the focal plane of a camera device to which it may be exposed and pictures taken through a lens, shutter and iris combination and a picture taken.

The paper is stopped by being moved up against and into a holder with spring fingers designed to grasp and retain the end of the continuous strip. Between the holders and the camera is a cutter or swinging knife for cutting the photographic paper after exposure into frames.

A series of these holders are provided one above the other and the rod carrying the holders may be moved in steps from the outside of the enclosure to receive successive frames.

At the base of the enclosure is positioned a gear driven revolving turntable carrying containers for developing, washing and fixing solutions, into which the holder may be inserted after the spring fingers have all received the exposed frames. The exposed frames in a group on the holder are all successively lowered into the containers of developing, washing, fixing and washing liquids and then the box or enclosure may be opened. This may be accomplished by turning the table step by step through the gearing arrangement to 2 bring one container after another under the holder. Then the holder will be lowered and rotated in the container.

When the box is opened the sensative paper in the camera focal plane and in the supply container will still be protected against the light. After the exposed frames are removed, the box or enclosure may be closed and the process repeated.

Any number of frames may be exposed at one time, for example from one to ten.

In the preferred embodiment, the lens may be positioned on the top of the box with the reciprocable and rotatable handle for operating the spring finger carriers which carry the exposed and cut frames. The cutter operator handle may also be positioned on the top of the casing.

The handles for advancing the photographic paper frame by frame and for rotating the turntable may be positioned at the side of the lighttight container or enclosure, which may be mounted on a tripod or table. a The supply box for photographic paper may be positioned at and removably clipped or locked into the side of the container so that it may readily be removed for replenishment of the sensitive paper and thereafter replaced.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed and as to its other objects, features and advantages, the mode of operation and manner of its organization, these, inter alia, may be better understood by referring to the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof in which:

Fig. l is a front perspective view of the cabinet of the photographic apparatus according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side perspective view of another part of the cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view upon a somewhat enlarged scale as compared to Figs. 1 and 2 of the interior construction with the cabinet removed;

Figs. land 5 are vertical sectional views of the arrangement of Fig. 3 at right angles to each other;

Fig. 6 is a schematic transvers'esectional view of the upper part of the apparatus showing the film supply;

Fig. '7 is a schematic transverse sectional view of the bottom part of the apparatus;

Fig. 8 is a top perspectiveview of the upper portion of the device uponan enlarged scale more clearly to show the construction thereof.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the light-tight cabinet A is provided with a front wall I having the door II with a latch I2 mounted at I3 on the side I4. The wall I is provided with a removable panel I6 held in position by the rests I1 and the latches I3 pivotally mounted at I9. The panel i6 enables access to removal, loading and reinsertion of the roll receiving magazine or box 40. The side wall 29 is provided with a plate 2I held in position by the screws or rivets, 22 having the control knob 23 for advancing the film or sensitive paper strip. Below the plate 2I is the dial 24 on the wall having the position numbers which correspond with a pointer 26 rotatable by the knob 21. The position numbers 25 indicate the photograph developing and fixmg.

The operating mechanism is best shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. As shown there is an internal U- bracket having an upper leg and a lower leg 31. The upper leg 35 carries the plate I01 by the screw 38. Mounted on the plate I01 below the top wall 39 of the casing A is a removable box 45 (see Fig. 6) having a shaft 4I carrying the roll of photographic paper or film 42 indicated broadly by the letters S.

The roll of film 42 passes out of the removable box through the slot 43 and into the opening 44 of the exposure chamber 45. The exposure chamber is provided with the downwardly diverging side walls 41 (see Fig. 6) and the base 48 over which the strip of film 49 passes. The base 48 will position the photographic paper 49 in the focal plane of the camera lens 52 of Fig. 3.

The strip of film 49 is fed by the guide rollers which are mounted on the shafts 5|. The rollers 58 are pressed together by the springs 58 under each end of the shaft 5I' of the 'lower roller 50. The springs 56 are held in the box 58. The upper roller 50 is driven by the rod 65 from the knob 23 to advance the sensitive strip S.

The knob 23 may be provided with a control pin 59 which may be screwed into the knob 23 or be spring pressed. The pin 59 will hit a stop after turning the knob 23 through 360 which will advance the film one frame. After each stop the pin 59 may be withdrawn to permit the knob 23 to be turned beyond the stop 60, another 360 and advance the paper S one more frame.

The film passes out of the exposure chamber 45 at 5| (see Fig. 6). The exposure chamber is provided with a lens device upon which is mounted a 45 reflector or prism 53. This reflector or prism 53 as indicated by the dotted lines 54 receives light from the object to be photographed and transmits it to the frame 49 as indicated by the lines 55.

To advance the film the upper feed wheel 50 is rotated by the shaft having the ratchet 68 and the pawl 81 is mounted upon the plate 68 by the pivot pin 89.

The lens 52 is provided with suitable iris and shutter means and adjustments therefor to regulate the amount of light admitted and the length of the exposure.

After the film has been exposed and passes out of the exposure chamber 45 it will pass under the swinging cutter blade I21 and into the spring clip retainer jaws I53 (see Figs. 3 and 6). The spring clip jaws I53 are carried by an upright toothed rod 19. The rod 19 passes through the bearing sleeve 90 in the top plate I01 of the enclosure or casing (see Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 8).

The shaft 19 is provided with a plurality of teeth 8| which engage the pawl 82 and the spring 83. The rod 19 is also provided with a groove I38 above said teeth 8|. The spring 8| is mounted by the rivets 84 on the sleeve 85 which forms a bearing for the upper part 86 of the rod 19. The rod 86 at its top has the hand actuating member 81. The spring 83 contacts the teeth through the cutout 88 in the sleeve 85, while the pawl 82 contacts the teeth through the cutout 89.

The operation of the pawl 82 is best shown in Fig. 8. The pawl 82 is pivotally mounted by the screw IN on the extension I02 of the sleeve I03. The sleeve I 03 is mounted on the shaft I04 which has bearings I05 and I06 mounted on the plate I01. The shaft I04 also carries the stop collar I08 having the stop leg I09 abutting the hearing member I06. The stop leg I09 is normally biased in direction I I0 by the coil spring III, one end of which is fixed to the split collar II2 clamped by the screw II3 on the end of the shaft I04. The other end of the spring III is mounted on the plate I01. The handle II4 has a finger press portion I I5.

The bearing sleeve I20 (see Figs. 5 and 8) mounted on the plate I01 carries the rod I2I with,

the handle sleeve I 22 acting as a stop against the top I23 of the bearing sleeve I20. The rod I20 has a cutout portion H9 and a transverse pin I24 at its lower end I25. The pin I24 fits into the slot I26 in the swinging knife I21. The knife I21 is pivotally mounted at I28 on the shaft I29 having bearings in the U-bracket I30. The end of the shaft I29 carries the collar I3I holding the coil spring I32 in position.

The knife I21 acts against the inside edge I33 of the plate 48 (see Fig. 6) to cut the photographic paper 49 into exposures or frames. The end I34 of the knife I21 is guided by the bracket I32 which is screwed by the leg I36 on to the extension plate I36. The upper end of the bracket I35 has a stop I I6.

The rod 13 at its lower end carries the plate I50 (see Figs. 3 to 6) which carries the depending arms I5I. The arms I5I are slotted at I52 and carry the spring clip fingers I53 which receive the cut off frames or photographic sheets after exposure. The spring clip fingers I53 are held in position by clamp studs I54 (see Fig. 5).

The turntable I65 has a center annulus I66 mounted on the rotary sleeve I61 which turns on the bearing rod I68. The rod IE8 is moimted by the screw I69 on the arm 31 of the bracket 35. The rod I68 carries the thrust bearing washers Ill and I12. The bearing post I68 carries the block I13 which has the bearing I14 for the vertical bevel gear I15. The vertical bevel gear I15 meshes with and drives the horizontal bevel gear I16 which is fixed 0n the sleeve I61. The bevel gear I15 is turned by the shaft I11 having the bearing I18 in the bracket 35. The shaft I11 is operated by the handle or knob 21.

The turntable I65 has the clips I19 each of which receives a cup or glass I for the developing and fixing solutions and washing water.

Below each cup I80 (see Fig. 7) screw shanks I83 which ride over the one direction stops I84 on the springs I85 held down by the screws I85. This will prevent return movement of the turntable I 85.

The figures 13 on rod 19 will indicate which spring fingers I53 are in position opposite slot 5I to receive the next film frame after exposure in chamber 45 and after feeding by rollers 50 75 and cut off by knife I21.

The groove 23% engaging the spring 83 will indicate when the films held in the spring clamps I53 are above the development cups I80 (see Fig. 3).

When the rod 19 is stopped in lowermost position, the batch of 8 frames in spring fingers I53 will be lowered into development cup 186. A greater or' lesser number of clips 553 may be utilized with a greater or lesser number of teeth 8!. r

In operation, the film roll 52 is placed'on the shaft 42, threaded between the rollers 5%], passed through the exposure chamber 4's, past the cutter [2? and into the spring finger clips Hi3. Then a frame is cut off by the cutter I21 by pressing down on the handle I22 and then lifting upwardly until the blade l2! strikes the stop H5. If the apparatus is working properly, the exposed film may be run through in a dark room.

Then the doors H and iii are closed, the rod g Then the camera is operated to make an exposure on the frame to in the exposure box or chamber 4?.

The preceding exposed frame 49 now on the fingers 53 may be cut off by operating the cutter blade i2? from handle E22. first pressed down then lifted.

Then the handle H5 is operated to actuate pawl $2 to move rod ES down one tooth 8i bring ing empty spring clip fingers 553 down to receive next exposed frame d9. will be advanced into the fingers E53 and stopped against U-bracket i5! by turning the handle 23 by 360 until the spring pressed pulled pin 5% is stopped against fixed stop pin to.

Another exposure is made by camera 53, the cutter i2! is operated, the rod 7%? advanced another notch or tooth Bi and the handle or knob 23 again rotated 360.

When the springfingers lei-3 have received the desired number of frames as, the handle 8i is manipulated to lower the frames 49 into the development tank I80. Then the knob 8! is turned to rotate said frames as in said tank I853.

The handle 87 is then lifted and the turntable E65 rotated through gearing I75 and i765 by handle 2? to next position 1, 2, 3, e, 5 or 6 as shown on dial 2%; in Fig. 2. ihis will bring a wash water container iilil axially below rod '59 permitting the frames to be washed.

This is repeated for the fixing solution and wash water following fixing. Then door if is opened and developed and fixed frames 49 removed therethrough.

As many changes could be made in the above photographic device and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, what is claimed is:

1. In a photographic exposing, developing and printing device of the type comprising a light tight container, a removable light tight sub-container for receiving a roll of continuous photographic sensitive strip material, a camera device The handle i222 is The exposed frame 59 g having a focal plane back portion slotted at each side to receive said strip material, rollers to advance said strip material a frame at a time, the combination therewith of holders to receive said frames after exposure, a cutter to out said frames after exposure and liquid containers to process said frames to develop and fix the photographic image thereon, said holders being formed of a bank of spring fingers arranged to grasp the frames before cutting and a vertical support for said holders carrying pairs of spring fingers forming said holders in a closely spaced parallel arrangement, one pair above the other, each pair of spring fingers receiving a cut exposed sheet of photographic sensitive strip material, and means to move said support in steps after each exposure and after each pair of spring fingers has received an exposed cut piece of strip material, said last-mentioned means including a ratchet and rack arrangement.

- 2. In a photographic exposing, developing and printing device of the type comprising a light tight container, a removable light tight subcontainer for receiving a roll of continuous photographic sensitive strip material, a camera device having a focal plane back portion slotted at each side to receive said strip material, rollers to advance said strip material a frame at a time, the combination therewith of holders to receive said frames after exposure, a cutter to out said frames after exposure and liquid containers to process said frames to develop and fix the photographic image thereon, said holders being provided with a pawl and tooth arrangement to advance the holders in stepwise fashion to receive successive frames and a vertical support for said holders carrying pairs of spring fingers forming said holders in a closely spaced parallel arrangement, one pair above the other, each pair of spring fingers receiving a cut exposed sheet of photographic sensitive strip material, and means to move said support in steps after each exposure and after each pair of spring fingers has received an exposed cut piece of strip material, said last-mentioned means including a ratchet and rack arrangement.

3. A manually controlled continuous photographic exposing, developing and printing camera construction of the type comprising a light tight casing including a sensitized paper supply, a lens system, a dark chamber to receive said sensitized paper supply, an exposure chamber to hold and position the paper to be exposed and manual operating means to operate the lens system to cause exposures and to advance the paper into the chamber from the supply and out of the chamber after exposure, the combination therewith of a cutting, framing, fixing and washing arrangement also included in said casing, said arrangement comprising holders to grasp the sides of the exposed paper, a cutter to cut the exposed paper, an actuator to move the holders after cutting of the paper, containers for developing, fixing and washing solutions to receive said holders carrying said cut papers and a carrier to carry said containers and a vertical support for said holders carrying pairs of spring fingers forming said holders in a closely spaced parallel arrangement, one pair above the other, each pair of spring fingers receiving a cut exposed sheet of photographic sensitive strip material, and means to move said support in steps after each exposure and after each pair of spring fingers has received an exposed cut piece of strip material, said lastmentioned means including a ratchet and rack arrangement.

4. The construction of claim 3, said carrier taking the form of a turntable and manually actuated to rotate said carrier so that one container after another will be presented to said holders and so that said holders carrying out exposed paper may be lowered in successive containers and then elevated after the treatment has been completed.

5. In a photographic device of the type having a light-proof casing, a film strip roller holder carrying a continuous strip of photographic sensitive material, a lens arrangement, a support plate in the focal plane of said arrangement, roller feed means to feed the film strip onto said plate and away from said plate after exposure, the combination therewith of holding means consisting of a plurality of spring fingers and a cutter means to out said film after exposure and passage away irom said plate and means to receive and hold said out exposed film and a vertical support for said holders carrying pairs of spring fingers forming said holders in a closely spaced parallel arrangement, one pair above the other, each pair of spring fingers receiving a cut exposed sheet of photographic sensitive strip ma-- terial, and means to move said support in steps after each exposure and after each pair of spring fingers has received an exposed cut piece of strip material, said last-mentioned means including a ratchet and rack arrangement.

' 6. The device of claim 5 in which said means have manual actuators outside of said casing.

7. The device of claim 5, said receiving and holding means being provided with rotatable receptacles for developing, washing and fixing 01' the cut film.

TORRANCE R. LAING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,359,481 Beidler Nov. 23, 1920 1,477,674 Towbridge -1 Dec. 18, 1923 1,822,677 Taylor Sept. 8, 1931 1,875,215 Caps Aug. 30, 1932 2,256,981 Klein Sept. 23, 1941 2,380,378 Allen July 31, 1945 

